Denise takes on “funky” role at Royal and Derngate, Northampton

Grosvenor Centre, Outside House of Fraser.'Launch of Cinderella panto with Bobby Davro and Denise Welch.

THERE will be plenty of cheering and booing as the region’s theatres get ready for the festive season with a series of traditional pantomimes.

Denise Welch will be appearing as the Fairy Godmother alongside comedian Bobby Davro as the Royal and Derngate in Northampton bring the timeless classic Cinderella to the stage.

She said: “It is the first pantomime I have done for five years. The last one I did was the same role in Cinderella at Darlington.

“That was a very traditional part for me but this version is going to be a bit funkier. There will be some of my Loose Women personality in there and there will be plenty of jokes which will go over the kids’ heads and make the adults laugh which is absolutely right for pantomime.

“That was part of the appeal for taking on this role.”

She is looking forward to working with Davro who performed at the same theatre last year.

Denise added: “Bobby Davro is an absolute master in this genre.

“But I didn’t read the script until I start rehearsing because working with someone like Bobby, he was likely to change things as we go along.”

She is also looking forward to appearing at Northampton.

Denise said: “Having been to Northampton, it looks really good and am looking forward to bringing the pantomime here.

“I have not seen that much of it but have got a lot of friends coming to see the show and it is my fiancee’s 40th birthday during the show so I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of it then.”

It has been a long year for Denise who is looking forward to re-establishing her career as an actress rather than a TV personality.

She said: “I have to admit that my least favourite thing I did was Celebrity Big Brother because it was a very enclosed environment and the cameras were constantly on you for three-and-a-half weeks, it was really hard.

“If you were in those surroundings in real life, you wouldn’t necessarily choose those people to be with and you could escape from them. There were people in there I didn’t get on with in there.

“I think people don’t see me as an actress and that’s something I would like to change and do some more acting. Although I will incredibly grateful to Loose Women for that role, it’s something I like doing.

“I have been incredibly lucky in that I have had a huge variety of parts as an actress and long may it continue.”

Cinderella opens today (Friday) and runs until Sunday, January 6.

Tickets cost between £16 and £24 and can be booked by calling the box office on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk.

To find out about other pantomimes in the area, see this week’s Daventry Express.